page_title: Low-impact development (U.S. and Canada)
hierarchical_section_title: Low-impact development (U.S. and Canada)
caption_attribution_description: English: image of Chicago City Hall pilot green roof project
context_page_description: Low-impact development is a term used in Canada and the United States to describe a land planning and engineering design approach to manage stormwater runoff as part of green infrastructure. LID emphasizes conservation and use of on-site natural features to protect water quality. This approach implements engineered small-scale hydrologic controls to replicate the pre-development hydrologic regime of watersheds through infiltrating, filtering, storing, evaporating, and detaining runoff close to its source. Green infrastructure investments are one approach that often yields multiple benefits and builds city resilience.
  Broadly equivalent terms used elsewhere include Sustainable drainage systems in the United Kingdom, water-sensitive urban design in Australia, natural drainage systems in Seattle, Washington, "Environmental Site Design" as used by the Maryland Department of the Environment, and "Onsite Stormwater Management", as used by the Washington State Department of Ecology.
context_section_description: Low-impact development (LID) is a term used in Canada and the United States to describe a land planning and engineering design approach to manage stormwater runoff as part of green infrastructure. LID emphasizes conservation and use of on-site natural features to protect water quality.  This approach implements engineered small-scale hydrologic controls to replicate the pre-development hydrologic regime of watersheds through infiltrating, filtering, storing, evaporating, and detaining runoff close to its source. Green infrastructure investments are one approach that often yields multiple benefits and builds city resilience.
  Broadly equivalent terms used elsewhere include Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in the United Kingdom (where LID has a different meaning), water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) in Australia, natural drainage systems in Seattle, Washington,  "Environmental Site Design" as used by the Maryland Department of the Environment, and "Onsite Stormwater Management", as used by the Washington State Department of Ecology.
caption: A green roof installed at Chicago City Hall
exif: {"Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image DateTime": "2011:06:16 11:21:33", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image ExifOffset": "228", "Image CustomRendered": "Normal", "Image ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "Image WhiteBalance": "Auto", "Image SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "5848", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "11201", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/100", "EXIF FNumber": "63/10", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Landscape Mode", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "100", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2011:06:16 11:21:33", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2011:06:16 11:21:33", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "108853/16384", "EXIF ApertureValue": "174021/32768", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "18", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "2592", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "3888", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "432000/97", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "3888000/877", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2"}